Conflicts of Interest
by WolfKeeper989
Summary: What if there was more to Sly than being a thief? What if there had been more of a history between Sly and the Inspector? What Sly and Inspector Fox weren't exactly hostile towards each other? What if they- well read it and find out.. FemSly/MaleCarm
1. Chapter 1

1 **Hello, everyone! So this story had initially started out as a replacement fic for the Old Habits Die Hard fic that used to be up here. However, when I started working on a rewrite idea, I realized that I already had two other storylines that are taking place in the Sly 2 universe! Why write another one?! So, I actually decided to write a new story all together. This story will take place in a parallel universe that is similar to the Strangers Series, although there will be some major differences between the two storylines. So the rules concerning magic are about the same, except for where I mention they are different. As well as both stories carry the same history regarding the Cooper clan. Depending when I post this, the history may be detailed here before Strangers. The Cooper history plays a more prominent role in this fic than it does in Strangers. This story starts in the first game, so we are running all the way from the beginning . . . well sort of.**

Disclaimer: WolfKeeper989 does not own Sly Cooper or any related characters. But Horacio "Hermanito" Hernandez is a character of my own creation.

Conflicts of Interest

 _Series Pilot:_

Star-Crossed

 **Sly**

I stood on the rooftop of the Paris branch of Interpol, shivering. I wish I could say it was the wind. But, alas, I cannot. I was quivering from pure dread! I wasn't dreading the mission at all, no that was nothing but cake. That and the mission had to be completed, if I wanted to have a shot at getting complete control of my life again. What I was dreading was the fact that I would see _him_ again. After all, he was assigned to our case. Ironically, it was his job to be wherever we were. But I guess that was not a completely bad thing. At least, I got to see him every now and then. But right now though things were just too ... hard. At the moment, I was planning to break into his office and steal a file! It is almost a guarantee that I will run into him here, despite it being 4:20 in the morning. He was always up before dawn, especially when something was bothering him, and work was his favorite distraction. But, I digress...

"...Hey! Hello...? Earth to Sierra! SIERRA!" called a voice in my ear, jolting me out of my morose thoughts.

"What?!" I hissed irritably. The damned turtle had scared the living daylights out of me!

"I have been calling you for the past one minute and 43 seconds! What are you standing around for?" came the equally irritated reply from my sister in all but blood, Bethany Jasmine Bentley.

"I am going! Keep your shell on, _Bentley_! And quit breaking character!" I rebuke her sternly, worried that someone could be listening in on our conversations. But it had mostly been meant to cover my own embarrassment at being caught daydreaming. As I made my way over to the vent to that would lead me into the interior of Interpol, Beth responded,

"Oh? Forgive me... let me try that again," the turtle then yells in a nasally voice, "SLY! Come in! SLLLYY! DO YOU READ ME?" I wince at the assault on my ears, but manage to get into my character and respond,

"Yes. I read you. Loud and very loud..."

" _Sorry_... I am a little nervous. Breaking into police headquarters does that to you. Especially when the person doing the leg work is _daydreaming_ in the middle of it," came Bentley's sharp reply. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, get over it, Bentley. You're safe in the van. I am the thief here! Besides, it was only decided that I would have to steal that file from Inspector Carlos Mateo Fox. However, it wasn't decided when exactly it had to be taken!" I grumbled mutinously into the practically invisible microphone next to my mouth. I ignored Bentley's grumbling and continued with my task as I utilized my mage sight and sneaking skills to shimmy along the edge of a water tower before leaping across two antennas to the vent. I quickly pried the cover off with my cane and slid inside the vent, surprised that I could actually stand up inside it. I quickly and quietly worked my way to the end of the rather large pipe.

I come out into a wide shaft that was covered in bright yellow lasers. I swallow reflexively. I take a deep breath and study the layout. There was a computer at the bottom of the shaft. I had not doubt it was the control panel for the alarm system. I heard Bentley repeat the information about the laser system. I quickly tuned it out as I had already heard and read all about it when we started preparing for this stupid run in the first place. I continued to study the shaft silently, after a moment I spotted a way down. A little to my right, the lasers crossed in such a way that I should have been able to grapple all the way down to the ground floor without touching a single one.

I placed my cane in my mouth, before reaching into my backpack and pulling out the grappling gun I had been given by Carlton. The wolf had kindly provided us with a ton of top line equipment. The grappling gun was a matte black and had more of a box shape than the more streamline look that other guns had. Gently applying pressure to the gun's trigger caused a folded hook to slide out of the barrel. I eyed the ceiling, then pressed a small button on the handle with my thumb. A laser beam came on and a red dot appeared on the ceiling. After eyeing the shot for another moment, I squared my shoulders and planted my feet. My hands only jerked slightly in response to kickback from the gun after I completely pulled the trigger. The hook was launched from the barrel with an almost silent brr-dap sound. The hook's prongs snapped into place as it soared through air. It then buried itself into the thin metal.

I tugged on it experimentally, making sure the hook was secure before I leapt out of the shaft. Once I jumped, I hung in the air momentarily and then pressed down on the trigger again and the rope began to unwind. Slowly, I was lowered to the ground. After my feet touched the ground, I decided not to risk releasing the grappling gun. Instead, using the console in front of me, I shut down the lasers. I smirk lightly to myself as Bentley grudgingly complimented my rudimentary hacking skills. I felt some of my dread falling away as a little bit of pride grew in my chest. I quickly cleaned up the scene and repacked the grapple gun.

After picking a door lock or two, I found myself in the theft department of Interpol. The floor was covered with sea foam and emerald tiles. I moved through the hallways, quietly reading the names on the door plates as I passed them. I tried to slow my heart beat down as I moved closer to his office. Finally, I spotted the red door. I shook my head, grinning wryly. The door had been painted as a joke back when Carlos had first been promoted to Inspector. Apparently, it had started off based on some gossip that had been going around the department. It the basic "Have you seen the new hot Inspector..." gossip. Carlos' best friend and sometimes annoyance, not to mention a good friend of mine, Horacio "Hermanito" Hernandez decided he would take advantage of the gossip and painted the door. He claimed that the office should match Carlos' new 'red hot' reputation. Carlos had not been amused. Although, Hermanito and I had shared a laugh about it when Carlos was not around.

I shook myself from my memories and proceeded to pick the lock. As I stepped inside, I noticed the office was spacious, orderly, and clean. This did not surprise me. Carlos kept everything that way, even as a teen. I quickly made my way over to the file cabinet and was confronted with a combination lock. After a quick check with Bentley, I had it open. I quickly fingered through the files and finally found the one labeled with my fake name. I checked the information in it and was glad to discover what I needed. I quickly looked for anything out of the ordinary.

"What are you doing?" hissed the turtle as I continued my scan of the file. Beth could hear what I was doing at the moment but not see it. The camera feed was above my eyes and was pointing at the edge of the file. Or at least I hope it was!

"Looking for an alarm trigger... tracker... just in case. You know that Carlos is paranoid." I answered offhandedly, I was more concerned with finding what I was looking for. I chuckle quietly as "Bentley" answered back,

"And whose fault is that?" Finally with my amused grin still in place I spot a folded sheet of paper in the middle of the file. I remove it and place it in my pocket. I placed the file in my backpack and prepared to close the file cabinet, when I saw something odd. There was another file with Sly Cooper's name on it. I picked it up and leafed through, as Bentley continued to berate me for wasting time. It was the exact same file. Ha ha! That clever fox. I quickly locate the folded sheet in this file too and replaced the file, before closing the cabinet.

"Sly! Get lost fast! Somehow an alarm got tripped! You can't get out the way you came!" came Bentley's panicked voice.

"No worries! I can take the window..." I replied easily as made my way over to the window and undid the latch. The window slid open without a sound, but before I could even put a toe on the balcony, there was a horrific bang. Light blinded my vision and I stumbled backwards.

"What was that?!" screeched Bentley. I struggled to my feet. I crept back up to the window and looked out. Down below, several of the police cars were on fire. What happened? My eyes were pulled toward motion near the gate. There was a black van with people inside and they were lobbing something out of the windows. There were two more bright bangs. " _Grenades..._ " I thought to myself. A moment of panic overtook me as my thoughts immediately flew to _him_ and whether or not he was ok. But before I could even act on my panic, voices entered my still slightly ringing ears. One voice was Bentley screaming in my ear, but the others were coming from the other side of the door.

"¿Qué pasando?(What's happening?) What was that?" called a voice, which seemed to be growing louder. I whirled about to see that I had not closed the door all the way. Before I could even decide if there was something I could do to fix my error, someone opened the door all the way.

"Sounded like a bomb going off! Think it had anything to do with the alarm on the second floor? Wait... Why is your door open, Carlos?" inquired another Spanish spiced voice. Carlos never had a chance to answer as he seemed to be rendered speechless by my presence in his office. Both he and Constable Hernandez were frozen in the doorway, and it sounded like a third officer was coming up behind them. For a moment, the three of us just stared at one another, then another explosion shook the building. It had snapped the officers out of their daze as both of them rushed me. I made a dive for the window and scrambled onto the balcony. It was not my most graceful exit, but it did the trick. A conveniently placed drain spout allowed me to access the roof and make good on my escape. I could hear Inspector Fox barking orders from the balcony below as I stopped to get my bearings. I quickly adjust the body shaper that has all but flatten my breasts against my ribs. This thing was a bitch and half to wear but necessary. But it did not make comfort or heavy breathing easy.

"Hey guys, we are going to have to rendezvous somewhere else. Someone is blowing holes in the parking lot of Interpol... it is really odd," I radio to Bentley.

"I heard! I was worried there for a moment. I have your position, make your way south and we will converge on some side street for extraction," he recommended.

"Will do, but it may take me a minute to find a good spot," I admit as I start to make my way across the roof.

"And that would be because..?" came Michael Dugan a.k.a. Murray's voice over my receiver. He was my brother in all but blood, and highly protective.

"Well, Carlos saw- he- Carlos has-" I try to explain but Carlos's sudden leap onto the roof a few meters ahead of me, brings me up short.

"-finally caught you red-handed, ringtail!" he finished triumphantly as he points his shock pistol at me. Fuck. This is going to be difficult.

"Carlos! I haven't seen you since I gave you the slip in Bombay..." I purr as I am rapidly trying to figure out how I am going to get out of this mess. I can't see what my dad ever liked about this gig! It is damn irritating and inconvenient!

"Oh yes, which reminds me... you need to return the fire stone of India to its rightful owners." He demanded as he closed the gap between the two of us. I instinctively take a step back. I watch the fox's eyes light up in amusement as he watches me. Although, I don't know how he managed to make that comment about the Fire Stone with a straight face... The stone belonged to my family and the museum was borrowing it in the first place!

"Aww... and here I was going to give it to you as a token of my- say! That bazooka really brings out the color of your eyes. Very fetching," I say smoothly as I try not to laugh at Carlos's clearly exasperated expression. He has stopped advancing on me, but his pistol does not waver.

"Oh really?" he asked incredulously. "Well, I am flattered, truly. But it pains me to say, its function is nowhere as near as fashionable or pleasant," The todd shrugged his shoulders in an apologetic manner.

"That's too bad. But then again, you don't need a lot of help in the looks department, gorgeous." I insist, hoping to keep him preoccupied as I tried to move around him. I don't want this encounter to last longer than it needs to. I try to dart around him again.

"Yes, so I have heard. But thankfully, this does help with the one problem I do have," he explains as he quickly moves to cut me off again. I back away from the shock pistol that was now mere centimeters from my chest.

"What? Keeping my attention, Inspector?" I tease as I back away a bit more. Carlos matches me step for step. He was way too close for my comfort and yet in some ways not close enough. I was momentarily distracted by the change in his eyes. His gaze suddenly changed from focused and somewhat frustrated to almost crafty.

"Trust me, cola anillada (ringed tail (ringtail))... If it was your attention I wanted, I would not need a weapon to get it," explained the Inspector as he continued to stare me down.

"Wow... Forward much," gasped Bentley in my ear. I was still slightly shocked and thus unable to comment on her interruption or her second break of character. I could feel my mouth moving, but no sound escapes. Bentley's alarmed screeching finally shakes me from my daze and allows me to dance out of the way of Carlos's shock pistol which was once again too close for comfort. This was becoming ridiculous! I usually never let Carlos distract me this much! I blame India for that, but I digress again...

"Oh, well I don't know whether I should feel intrigued by what other methods you would employ or insulted by the idea that you possibly don't want my attention, Inspector..." I finally reply breathlessly, much to my internal embarrassment. I quickly strengthen my inner resolve as I refuse to lose this war of words with the smooth-tongued vulpine.

"Actually, I am very interested in your exclusive attention. That is why I feel it would be much easier to discuss the error of your ways behind closed doors," he said easily. I fought not to grind my teeth in sheer frustration. Carlos was in a rare form this morning.

"And I am sure those doors have bars on them, too," I chide as I eye him warily.

"Preferably, but I will take what I can get," he tossed out as he advanced on me again. My temper finally flared and I decided to change tactics.

"And here I thought you had standards, Inspector," I blurted as I rush forward and take a swing at him with my cane. He immediately dodged my swing by dodging to the left. I rushed to the right and barely managed to slip around the fox and make a break for it. Carlos swears behind me and I grinned. My grin did not last long, however. The sizzling sound of a shock pistol round gaining on me made my fur stand on end. It nearly missed me. I quickly speed up, moving in a zigzag pattern to confound his aim. Another three shots missed. I was heaving air now. This damnable costume was not made for such athletic pursuits, how the hell does Alé do this shit every day?! I cast a quick glance behind me and spot two more blazing balls of electricity come flying at me. The first one was easily dodged, the second one however, was not avoided as well as I hoped. It missed my ear by a centimeter but unfortunately the residual energy caught my earpiece. The receiver itself emitted a high pitched and painful screech as it died. I reflexively ripped the device out my ear with a cry. My ears have been taking quite a beating today. Much to my dismay, the imager Bentley built into my mask had begun to short as well. The overlay was beginning to fade and turn to static. It was now severely hampering my ability to see.

"Cooper freeze! ¡Halta! For the love of the G... Cooper _stop_!" I hear Carlos call behind me. I ignore him as I focus on getting away while trying to pull the offending mask off of my eyes. Finally, with a ferocious tug, I tear the mask from my face. I can see clearly but at that very moment a hand grasps me by my elbow and pulls me backwards. Suddenly, I currently couldn't see anything, but the black shirt that Carlos wore under his Interpol jacket. He had grabbed and spun me around so fast that my eyes were still rolling around in my sockets. I had no choice but to cling to his jacket until the world around me stopped spinning. Finally, I was able to regain my bearings and lean back to look at him. I was going ream him out for the rough handling, but I was cut off.

"What was that, Sierra?!" the anger and fear in his voice warped his question into a low growl. I could really only blink back at him in confusion. "You nearly ran all the way off the roof! I barely caught you!" Oh... that was why he was yelling. I sneak a peek over my shoulder and shudder as I see that I am about half a meter from the edge of the roof. I finally look back up into Carlos's face and sigh,

"Sorry! That last shock pistol blast fried my sensory equipment. I couldn't see," I explain as I reluctantly extract myself from his hold. He doesn't say anything, just sighs.

"I am not comfortable with this at all, " he muttered as he ran a trembling hand through his obsidian locks. I can only shake my head. "That makes two of us, amigo," I mentally sigh.

"Carlos, we have discussed this already... I have no other choice! It must be done." I insist as I cautiously monitor the area around us to see if there is someone lurking about. I notice the fox doing the same. With my communicator destroyed, there wasn't any chance of our conversation being heard on the gang's end. I also knew that Carlos's receiver was a one way device, he could only speak or listen at any given time. I notice my abandoned mask lying on the concrete and move around Carlos to go retrieve it.

"Sí, Sí... I know. But... I just keep seeing all the terrible things that can go wrong with this idea," he groans. Part of me does feel bad that I have dragged my lover into this mess, but what is done is done. And deep down, I know I would have never been able to keep him away. We are too bound to each other's lives, literally and metaphorically. Literally, by a bond that formed between the two of us when we were children and metaphorically because we simply loved each other too much.

"Trust me, love, I do not like this at all. But we can't keep hiding from my estate forever. Carlton is not getting any younger. We need to put an end to this. They have already gotten their hands on my father and mother. I will not stand by and watch this happen to you or anyone else I care about! I am sick and tired of waiting for the next axe to fall!" I growl as frustration and fear war in my throat and stomach. Carlos just looked at me with trepidation in his eyes. "Oh no... he is getting angry..." I moan mentally as his eyes narrow into slits and fire begins to burn within them.

"I am well aware of our predicament!" Carlos snapped, "The estate has been our goddamn bane for the last five years!" I winced at the venom in his tone. He must have seen me, because in the next moment his eyes soften. He sighs as he pulls me back into his embrace and hugs me. "Trouble... I just want you safe. That is all..." he whispers in my ear. I nod against his chest, breathing his scent of earth and citrus. My arms encircle his waist as my heart clenches at the familiar nickname.

"I know, Hero... I want the same for you. If there were an easier, cleaner way to do this then I would not be here and you know it. But desperation has led both sides to do desperate things. This is a last ditch effort. They already know I have been moving around behind the scenes during the last five years. They are putting on pressure, in hopes that I will trip up. I bet my last dollar that is what all those grenades were about, trying to get me caught!" I growl into his chest as I thought.

"Hmm... it's possible. Could also be just bad luck… another alarm was tripped on the other side of the building that could have also been a distraction for whoever was breaking in on that end, too. I sent Hermanito and another officer to look into it while I tracked you down." Carlos admitted as he loosened his hold again.

"Well, if it was someone else, they better not be there when Hermanito gets there," I mumble as finally pull myself from his arms. The brisk air blowing across the roof almost drove me back into them, but the knowledge that Beth and Mike were probably panicking by now kept me from giving into the temptation.

"Ha! They better not, or Hermanito will have them in custody before they can say, "Qué pasa?!" Carlos laughed, but I could tell it was forced. I swallowed uncomfortably and began digging around in the side pocket of my back pack and pull out another mask, this one not as hi-tech as the other. I went to wrap it around my face, but Carlos's hand coming to rest on my wrist, stopped me. I look up at him and sigh, there was pain in those earth-colored eyes. I drop one end of my mask and reach up to run my hand down the side of his face briefly. He then tugs the mask from my fingers.

"Carlos..." I protest softly, looking around worriedly. I just know Bent and Murray are going to show up any moment. But he took the mask and placed on my eyes before tying it behind my head. A moment later, he kisses my forehead and whispers,

"You better go," I nod without replying. As I turned to leave, I realize that I can't find my cane. I began searching the rooftop for it. Finally, I find it behind Carlos. It must have fallen when Carlos grabbed me. As I move to pick it up, I notice an odd, moving shape on the other end of the roof. Someone was climbing onto the roof...

 **Ok so this is finished! Looks like things are not going so well for Sierra at the moment but maybe not all is lost! As for this fic, obviously this is a gender bender. Things will make a bit more sense as the story goes on. First person POV severely limits what information can be conveyed at any given time so it will take time for the necessary background to be laid down. And be forewarned this is obviously AU and the characters will definitely be out of character in comparison to the original game characters. Review please if you would!**


	2. Chapter 2

1Disclaimer: WolfKeeper989 does not own Sly Cooper or any related characters. But Horacio "Hermanito" Hernandez is a character of my own creation.

 _ **Season 1: "Tide of Terror"**_  
 _ **Arc 1: "Off to a Rough Start"**_

 **Episode 1:**

 **More to the Thief**

 **Sly**

"Carlos, pull your pistol," I hiss as I sink to my knees in front of him. He frowns in confusion, even as he reaches into his holster, draws his weapon and points it at me. I watched warily as the figure continues to make their way toward our position. I can tell from their walk that they're a female. Thus, I concluded that it was probably an officer I did not know. I was surprised to find that she was a yellow-bellied weasel. As she moved closer, she called out to Carlos,

"You ok, Inspector?" Carlos took a moment to fix his features before he slightly turned his head to answer,

"Fine, Constable Winthrop. Where is Constable Hernandez? I thought I told you to help him to subdue whoever was breaking into the second floor?" he answered, his voice had taken on a chiding tone. I bit the inside of my cheek, Carlos was notorious for being hard on the officers that happen to be under his command.

"One perp was apprehended. He claimed that he was a part of the Coo- Cooper!" she blurted at the end. Her brown eyes had widened as her gaze finally fell on me. I just lifted a hand in greeting and continued to grin cheekily at Carlos. Carlos clearly did not like the situation he was in, his ears were flicking in irritation and his teeth were clenched.

"Yes, thank you for noticing, Constable. But you still have not explained why you are here." Carlos prompted. The jill (another word for female weasel) blinked a moment before turning to Carlos.

"Of course, I was worried that there may have been an ambush or something worse going on out here with all the grenades flying around and what not?" she answered as gestured to me, her cockney accent thick as she talked excitedly. "But since it seems like you have things well in hand, I can go for backup..." As the woman said this, she turned around to head back in the direction she came. However, her boot caught the edge of my cane, which was still laying behind Carlos's right leg. She stumbled as the shaft of the cane was knocked up between her legs. She gave a yelp of surprised and latched onto Carlos's jacket. Carlos fought to stay on his feet but unfortunately the weasel's weight proved to be too much and he was pulled to the ground with her. His shock pistol went flying.

Deciding that there was no better time for me to leave than now, I darted forward and pulled my cane from underneath the two carnivores and made a break for it. I grinned while listening to both of them hiss and curse behind me. The edge of the roof was coming up fast. There was a fire escape attached to the next building. I leapt from the edge of the roof and felt my stomach drop as I started to fall. I braced myself for an abrupt stop as reached out with my cane to hook onto the railing of the fire escape. I winced at the force that went up my arms, but held on. After a moment, I worked my hands up my cane and grabbed onto railing. I pulled myself over it with a grunt and then grabbed my cane. I looked behind me to see that Winthrop had gotten to her feet and was approaching the edge. I couldn't help smirking at the woman and waving.

"Halt Cooper! You are resisting arrest!" she shouted down at me. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and blurt out, "Thank you for the enlightenment, Captain Obvious!" Instead, I looked down at the ground below me. Deciding there were too many obstacles to work around on the ground, like the poor souls heading to work this early and lights, I headed up the stairs. Hoping I could make it to the next rooftop before the officers decided to join me on the escape, I moved as fast as my legs could carry me. As I reached another landing, I felt the escape rattle and looked up to see that Winthrop had landed on the landing above me. The weasel was trying to sprint down the steps with her weapon drawn. The escape shook again and I risked a quick glance behind me to see Carlos pulling himself over the railing of the landing behind me. Great...

However, I was far from being beaten. I backed up a few steps and watched as Winthrop tripped on a step. Seizing the opportunity, I stuck my cane out and caught her by the arm and pulled her forward. I quickly flattened myself against the building and watched the woman stumbled past me. I snagged her cuffs as she passed, before tapping her lightly on the behind with my cane. I could not hold back a wince as I watched her collide with Carlos. The two officers tumbled down the stairs. They landed in a heap. My heart nearly stopped. I had been hoping that Carlos would have caught her, not fall! Torn between wanting to make sure that Carlos was ok and needing to get back to my gang before they called a search party, I hesitated. Then I remembered the cuffs... I decided to eliminate two problems at once. I quickly made my way down stairs, before kneeling near Carlos and the constable. The jill was out cold but Carlos was not, he was actually glaring at me.

"Why are you still here?" he hissed.

"Making sure I hadn't killed you by mistake!" I hiss back. Why is everybody being pissed at me tonight? Carlos rolled his eyes but muttered,

"I am fine. Now go!" Seeing that Carlos was fine, I felt the knot of dread in my stomach melt away and my usual playfulness returning.

"As you will, Inspector... but the score is now 5-0..." I remind him, grinning as his scowl deepens.

"I don't know why you are even keeping a score... the game's rigged in your favor..." he grumbles. I bite my lip to keep from laughing out loud. Instead I just leaned forward and kissed him, before cuffing his wrist to the rail. By this point, Constable Winthrop had begun to stir. I pull away and mouth sorry to the todd before sprinting for the stairs and continuing my escape. I finally did laugh aloud when Carlos started swearing loudly. He must have noticed the handcuffs. I finally reach the roof. Suddenly, I hear a familiar screeching of tires on the other side of the building. I grin as I race across the concrete. Once I reach the other side, I peer over the edge to see the team van come to a screaming halt in the alleyway below me. Glancing around a moment, I made sure no one else was around or below in the alley. Then I leapt off the building and used one of my family's lesser known magical abilities and let the breeze carry me softly to the ground. As soon as my feet hit the ground, the back doors of the van flew open. I raced forward and jumped into the vehicle, slamming the doors shut behind me.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" screamed Beth as she stomped toward me from her workstation in the van. My ears flattened against my skull as I moved back a step from the angry reptile, my back hitting the doors. I knew Beth would be beside herself; she, like myself, tends to get loud when she was panicked or pissed off. Right now, she was both.

"Sorry, I was a little short when I dodged one of Carlos's shock pistol blasts. It fried the equipment. I then had to get away from Carlos and his new friend..." I explain as reached in my pocket and pulled out the remains of my first mask and the communicator. Stepping further into the interior of the van, I gave to them Beth solemnly. She groaned, and possibly looked like she might cry. She placed the equipment next her laptop and returned to me. Grabbing onto my arms, she begins to vigorously shake me as she yells,

"Don't ever scare me like that again, you daft girl!"

"O-Kay, Beth-a-ny, I will... d-d-o my-b-be-st," I managed to get out in between shakes. Seeming to be satisfied with my answer, she lets me go and stalks back to her seat in front of her ever present laptop.

"All right, let's see what was in that file that nearly got you killed..." grumbled the turtle. I quietly hand the folder over to her, before taking a seat on the other available chair in the back. I wisely decided that silence was best at the moment, and took this time to get lost in my own head for a while. The first problem on my mind was what was all that mess at Interpol? As far as we knew from our underground contacts, no one was planning to hit Interpol for any reason. There had not been a really high profile capture in a while, not that I knew of anyway. So it probably wasn't an attempt to break someone out... there weren't any truly remarkable high cases, either. So why the grenades? I racked my brain a bit more, really worried by the whole thing. Despite Carlos's reassurances that this was probably just bad timing, I wasn't convinced. There had been too many other coincidences and near misses in the days leading up to today's info run. Also, this obviously fake Cooper gang is highly suspect, too. I finally growl in frustration as I come up with nothing once again, other than someone from the estate trying to trip me up.

"Nothing about tonight makes any sense!" I mutter as I drum my fingers against the shaft of my cane.

"What was that, Sierra?" asked Beth distractedly as she lazily flipped through the pages in the file. I rub my tired eyes with the heel of my hands as I lean back against the seat.

"Tonight has been just worrisomely strange, especially given what went on before..." I trail off, becoming lost in thought again. Beth hummed thoughtfully.

"Unfortunately, I can't disagree with you on that point." She replies. "Although, part of me does feel a bit bad for the Interpol officers... All those ruined cars are coming out of their pay, I am sure." I nod absentmindedly as I comb my memories, trying to piece together what could have been going on tonight. Suddenly, something came back to me,

 _..."One perp was apprehended, claimed that he was a part of the Coo- Cooper!"..._

I gasp aloud. Could the fake Cooper gang be following them? After all, there had been a few petty thefts around France recently that were speculated to be perpetrated by my gang and that we had nothing to do with. A couple of hits leading up to the Interpol job also had these same people coming behind us and causing a scene. We would barely get out of the area sometimes. Of course, Carlos had confirmed that it was a copycat every time... the MO was way messier and they weren't tied to the tier of work and hits that we normally pulled. Then I nearly end up stuck in the middle of Interpol as another gang assaults the place within minutes of me starting my assault. Finally, another constable confirms another Cooper gang is at work in the building through the word of someone they captured. I was going to need to gather more info on this and quickly. I could not afford to get derailed before I even really get started.

"Beth, I think they're onto us," I finally announce. She stopped shuffling papers and turned her chair around to look at me.

"What makes you think that?" she asked.

"The fake gang... then that same very loud and messy group targeting Interpol the same morning we were? I am all for coincidences and then there is intentional... I am leaning more toward the latter," I sigh. Despite the poor lighting in the back of the van, I can easily imagine Beth's eyebrows furrowing as she thought.

"What makes you think that the people hitting Interpol tonight were our copycats?" she asked. I knew she was looking for details to confirm or deny my theory with.

"Simple, they hit Interpol just after we did as they have done before and one of them was caught in the Interpol building! They claimed to be a member of the Cooper gang... at least according to the Constable that broke up my fun with Carlos..." I pretend to grumble. Beth laughed. She truly enjoyed ragging me about my "crush" on Carlos. Of course, on my end, it was just ironic as I haven't had a crush on a guy in many a year, especially Carlos... not since I was girl. Am I highly attracted to the fox? Yes. Am I in love with him? Happily so, but definitely not crushing. However, it is a ridiculous moment that I must get through for the sake of keeping my life moving. In many ways, I do feel bad about keeping things from Beth and Mike, but the fewer details people know about my real life the better it will be for all involved. I was drawn from my thoughts by Beth.

"So they actually caught a member of this fake gang then? I guess that means you'll be working the lunch hour then?" she asked. I nod. She was referencing the café that I sometimes took shifts at in order to gain information from Interpol through the gossiping officers that stopped by in the mornings or during their lunch breaks. Every now and then I was able to "pick up" some useful info. Usually it was whatever Carlos wanted me or thought I needed to know.

"I will leave first thing in the morning," I reply. Bethany returned to the file as I leaned back in the seat and tried to stay awake.

"ETA for home is five minutes..." called Mike from the front seat. Beth began shutting down her workstation and prepping to put it all away. Honestly, I wished I could go home. I never thought I would miss a farm so much. I continue to let my thoughts wander as we inched closer to our current hideout and further away from the one person that felt like home in this whole country at the moment...

Eventually, we pulled into the garage near the "abandoned" old warehouse. I allowed Beth to debark with her equipment first and then closed up the back. I hung back and waited for Mike to catch up. We shared a quick smile over a job mostly well done as we entered the building. The building itself was not that big, half of it was the garage that contained the team van and another emergency getaway vehicle. The rest had been divided into a decent living space consisting of a small kitchen, a simple bathroom to share, living/working area, and three small bedrooms. I made my way straight back to my room with nothing more than a hastily muttered "night..." to my friends. As the door clicked shut, my shoulders sagged and I slowly started stripping off my clothes and disguise. The sweater and fake torso came off first. The first traces of cool air that hit my sweat drenched fur felt wonderful. The gray pants with the extra padding came off next. After divesting myself all my garments, I wrap a towel around me, slip my feet into a pair of slippers, and head for the bathroom.

Stepping into the warm water felt amazing. I sighed in pleasure as all the muscles in my body started to relax as I began rinsing my hair underneath the spray. As I allowed my body to mechanically clean the night's adventure from my fur, tiredness began to works its way into my bones. Fifteen minutes later, I emerged from the shower and quietly padded my way back to my room. Once inside, I begin to dry off as I mentally catalogue what I need to do for tomorrow's shift. I knew I needed to call the day shift manager and check that it would be ok for me to fill in for the day. I was sure it would not e a problem as the café was always busy and was always in need of extra hands. The work uniform that we wore was one of the few articles of clothes that were hanging on the rolling rack in my room. I just needed to make sure it wasn't wrinkled and find my work shoes. A groan escapes my lips at the thought of the remaining tasks I had to complete before I could crawl into my bed.

When I feel my towel catch on the chain around my throat, I freeze. Slowly, I remove the trapped threads from the clasp. I throw the wet cloth into the small hamper in the room and lift the chain to examine it. The silver chain was fine. I then shifted my focus to the small tear-shaped pedant that hung from it. The blue quartz was smooth to the touch and despite the active lifestyle I tended to lead, it bore no signs of wear yet. A smile works its way onto my face as I fondly recall how I got it. That lovely todd I had left cuffed to the railing had given it to me more than two years ago now. He knew I was not a huge fan of rings, so he had this made. Of course, I did make an exception for the band that followed, and it too hung from the same chain. My mind began to wander back to where it all began.

It had all started in a really small town, well pueblo, called Resortes de plata or Silver Springs...

When I was very small, my family moved to Silver Springs not only to escape our clan nemesis but also to get my clan's controlling estate off my father's back. My father is the sole heir to the Cooper clan thieving dynasty as well as heir to the more publicly known Monroe family. On one hand, Clockwerk wanted him dead because he, for whatever reason, had loathed my family for generations. The estate, on the other hand, the estate wanted dad where they could see and control him, thus keep their hold on the family's power and money. See the Cooper clan had amassed a great fortune from stealing from criminals, but they did not just steal things and then sit around. A good many of them turned the illicit items, possessions, lands, and businesses into profitable enterprises. They also collected rewards from those that they helped, too. As it had been part of Cooper legend that Slytankhamen had to swear to never use the power he had been gifted by the God Heka against the innocent, thus the clans stole only from those that committed crimes to gain their wealth and status. In process of doing this, they often completed bounties, rescued kidnaping victims, or returned stolen property to their owners. Many members of the clans eventually moved on to "daytime" occupations once a family member could take the thieving reins or they did not become thieves at all and used their talents for other things. Either way, the thieving side and the public side of the clan prospered mightily through the ages.

However, thanks to wars, famines, other catastrophes, and running away from Clockwerk, my family's numbers have declined through the ages as well. The last four or five generations have only had one or two children each and all of them had been sons. In most people's opinion that would have been a good thing as the family name would live on. But in my family's case, it was not. The Cooper/Monroe clan was actually matriarchal. The heirs and true leaders of our clan were the women. This tradition was observed because the only known surviving line of this family was descended from the youngest child and only daughter of Slytankhamen, Maat. Of the two sons that Slytankhamen had with his wife, only one produced any children, but they died before having children of their own. The other son had no children at all. Maat on the other hand had two boys that lived to maturity and both married and eventually had children. The oldest son's line died out in 1475 due to the bubonic plague, the youngest son's line is the line I was born of.

Because of our clan's sworn oath, the procreation of the clan was heavily monitored. Heka swore that if the covenant between him and the clan was broken, the violator would pay a high price. If the breach was not rectified by the clan within a certain number of generations, the whole clan would eventually be cursed with the same misfortune. Thus, a bunch of safe guards was put in place to hopefully prevent any unplanned offspring from causing the clan's downfall. The estate had been conceived as a means helping with this monitoring. Unfortunately, like any position that holds power, this position too became corrupted by greed. Heir Regents or the male Monroe/Cooper descendants were held to a much stricter standard than the female heirs as the estate did not have as much control over them as they were ranked higher. Because of the lack of true heirs over that last few generations, the estate was able to amass more and more power. By the time my father was born there was very little that the heir regent could do on their own without the approval of the estate council. While with a true heiress in place, they were merely advisors. They had become fearful that one day an heiress would be born that would destroy all their hard work.

They were willing to do anything to prevent that. They even went so far as to sabotage my parents' ability to have children. According to my parents, they had a difficult time with conception while they were living in the family compound in Atlanta, GA. The estate had even started putting pressure on my dad to remarry, since my mom clearly had not been up for the job. My father thought they were full of it and told them so. But no matter how hard they tried, mom would never make it past month four of her pregnancy. Finally, when my mom got pregnant with me she told only my father and made him swear not to tell anyone else. They moved out of the compound to a lesser known family summer home in Europe. Lo and behold, my mother had me with little fanfare and no complications. This only furthered my parents' belief that the estate had been poisoning my mother. Thus, they decided to remain where they were and raised me out from under all the media and estate scrutiny. It was a really big deal that there was a new heiress to the Monroe Economic Dynasty. I would be inheriting the largest fortune on Earth with few strings attached.

For a while it worked. The estate complained heavily, but they could not really punish my father because he still completed all of his family related duties as was required. They had tried many times to convince him to return to the estate, but he refused. However, the peace that my family had found would not last. Clockwerk managed to track us down two days after my first birthday. My father managed to fight Clockwerk and his goons down to a draw. However, to get the monster to leave us alone, he gave up one of our families greatest treasures: The Thievius Raccoonus. They took the book and while they were distracted, my father snuck my mom and me out. For a week or so my parents moved from safe house to safe house and motel to motel. But my parents did not want me growing up without a stable home or any means of socialization. So, they discussed moving somewhere off the grid. My mom then mentioned the pueblo that she had completed part of her geology thesis research in to my father. It had a small silver mine and quartz quarry that she had taken samples from. She mentioned to my father that Silver Springs was not on any maps and that you would need to know of the place to even know to look for it. She suggested moving there. My father immediately agreed.

My mother made a few calls to her contacts in the town and learned of a house for sale in town. Not only that, the house was right next to one of my mother's dearest friends. Maria Aletta Regina-Zorros had recently married and had a set of twins that were four. My father and mother quickly moved in and got settled. A few days after we moved in, my mother took me next door to meet the neighbors and catch up with her friend Maria. Funny enough, I still remember the first time that I met Carlos. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. It's one of the many perks of being a mind mage… But anyway…

I remember looking up at the two-story house and wondering what was going on. All the moving had left me more than a little uncertain and frightened. I remember my parents entering the house and greeting these strange looking people. They were a weird color and had no mask or rings on their tails. But they seemed nice. My mom had carried me into the house. And the moment we stepped over the threshold to the living room, a warm, bubbly welled up inside of my chest and I started laughing. The adults laughed too. I was suddenly compelled to seek out something. I knew that I wanted something, but not exactly what.

I fussed enough to get my mom to put me down. Then I followed the strange feeling to its source. I found it pretty quickly. There was a smaller version of strange people I saw before. It was sitting down on the floor looking at a colorful book. I was not even bothered by the book. I simply crawled over to the new person and duck under the book. There I looked into a pair of pretty and surprised dark brown eyes. We both stared at each other for a moment, before I decided I wanted a hug and got one…

From that day forward, Carlos and I were the best of friends, fussing and fighting along the way. Although, Carlos still complains that I drive him crazy. I laugh at my reminiscing before continuing to dry myself off being careful to avoid my engagement pendant and wedding band. Time continued to creep by as I dress for bed, got that blasted uniform ready, and finally settle in bed. But as I close my eyes, I remembered the slips I pulled from the files. I groan. Leaving my bed seems like an impossible task, but I do so. I dig through my pockets and pull out the slips. The code on it was very familiar to me. We devised it a long time go to share messages and information that we did not want publicly known. I quickly decipher the message and smile. It was two sentences long:

 _I_ _love you. Be careful._

I climb back into bed with a grin on my face. I would see my husband tomorrow at some point. That was a much more pleasant thought to end the day on, than worrying about my estate.

Well, things are certainly looking up for our girl in this chapter! Next time we will get to know more about her lover, the infamous Inspector Fox!


End file.
